Category Archives: Cell Medicine

DUBLIN, Feb. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Stem Cell Banking - Market Analysis, Trends, and Forecasts" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The growing interest in regenerative medicine which involves replacing, engineering or regenerating human cells, tissues or organs, will drive market growth of stem cells. Developments in stem cells bioprocessing are important and will be a key factor that will influence and help regenerative medicine research move into real-world clinical use. The impact of regenerative medicine on healthcare will be comparable to the impact of antibiotics, vaccines, and monoclonal antibodies in current clinical care. With the global regenerative medicine market poised to reach over US$45 billion by 2025, demand for stem cells will witness robust growth.

Another emerging application area for stem cells is in drug testing in the pharmaceutical field. New drugs in development can be safely, accurately, and effectively be tested on stem cells before commencing tests on animal and human models. Among the various types of stem cells, umbilical cord stem cells are growing in popularity as they are easy and safe to extract. After birth blood from the umbilical cord is extracted without posing risk either to the mother or the child. As compared to embryonic and fetal stem cells which are saddled with safety and ethical issues, umbilical cord is recovered postnatally and is today an inexpensive and valuable source of multipotent stem cells. Until now discarded as waste material, umbilical cord blood is today acknowledged as a valuable source of blood stem cells. The huge gap between newborns and available cord blood banks reveals huge untapped opportunity for developing and establishing a more effective banking system for making this type of stem cells viable for commercial scale production and supply. Umbilical cord and placenta contain haematopoietic blood stem cells (HSCs). These are the only cells capable of producing immune system cells (red cells, white cells and platelet).

HSCs are valuable in the treatment of blood diseases and successful bone marrow transplants. Also, unlike bone marrow stem cells, umbilical cord blood has the advantage of having 'off-the-shelf' uses as it requires no human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue matching. Developments in stem cell preservation will remain crucial for successful stem cell banking. Among the preservation technologies, cryopreservation remains popular. Development of additives for protecting cells from the stresses of freezing and thawing will also be important for the future of the market. The United States and Europe represent large markets worldwide with a combined share of 60.5% of the market. China ranks as the fastest growing market with a CAGR of 10.8% over the analysis period supported by the large and growing network of umbilical cord blood banks in the country. The Chinese government has, over the years, systematically nurtured the growth of umbilical cord blood (UCB) banks under the 'Developmental and Reproductive Research Initiation' program launched in 2008. Several hybrid public-private partnerships and favorable governmental licensing policies today are responsible for the current growth in this market.

Competitors identified in this market include:

Companies Mentioned

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vgxw4q

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Global Stem Cell Market Poised for Strong Growth as Global Regenerative Medicine Market Poised to Reach US$45 billion by 2025 - P&T Community

(Photo : Piqsels)A recent study suggests that laziness can be blamed on one's genes.

Do you ever wonder why you find it hard to exercise everyday, while others don't? It must be your genes. A recent study found that a certain genetic mutation reduces one's ability to exercise.

For quite some time now, it has been thought that some people consider exercising much easier than others. While some find joy in jogging off to the gym, others find it terrifying to even do anything that may possibly lead to shortness of breath or perspiration. Now this is no longer just some random situation. In fact, scientists have already discovered the link between one's ability to efficiently exercise and certain genes.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, reported that a genetic mutation in some individuals are making it more difficult for them to exercise. The mutation can impact the "cellular oxygen sensing" that is linked to ahuman's ability to effectively work out.

The research team also found that those with the gene had reduced growth rate, constantly low blood sugar, limited capacity for exercise and an extremely high red blood cell number. With these findings, it can then be said that laziness is indeed, hereditary.

ALSO READ:Wearable Medical Devices: The Next Most Popular Gadgets for Health and Fitness Enthusiasts

(Photo : Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash)

In an attempt to figure out why individuals with a limited capacity to exercise behave the way they do, the team of researchers thoroughly evaluated one case study.

After several tests, including genetic analysis, the scientists found that themutated genebeing examined was thevon Hippel-Lindau, or the VHL gene. It is a type of gene playing a vital role in one's genetic makeup, mainly contributing to the survival of human cells when the ability to take in oxygen is reduced.

Additionally, the researchers also found that the VHL gene was damaged in some individuals struggling to exercise. The main reason for this is that this gene is associated with the mitochondria. When the mitochondria fail to fire on all cylinders, which is the usual case in those with mutated VHL, exercising is certainly quite a hard thing to do.

Dr. Federico Formenti, one of the study's lead authors said that they find this discovery of mutation, as well as the linked phenotype, exciting as it allows for a deeper understanding of human physiology, particularly when it comes how the human body senses and responds to the reduced availability of the oxygen.

The researchers experimented on mice, which were bred to have a mutation ingenesclose to that of humans in order to interrupt its function. In relation to this, researchers characterized the mice in terms of obesity, physical activity, as well as the cellular biology to understand how this gene was associated with obesity.

The saidstudyshowed the levels of physical activity, body weight and how much the mice ate. The study also showed othercellular level measurements that are obesity-related, such as the expression of the protein on the brain cells' surface.

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Too Lazy to Exercise? Is It Genetic? - Science Times

Clearly, a lot can happen in a decadebut innovation has to start somewhere. Based on whats breaking through now, here are some trends that have the potential to shape the 2020s.

The 2010s saw18 statesapprove the use of marijuana for medical purposes, bringingthe total to 33 states. In the 2020s, research into the potential medicinal uses of psychedelics could increase dramatically.

In another recent example, one researcher found that MDMA, or ecstasy, can make thecharacteristically shy octopus act friendlier. Though cephalopod brains are more similar to snails than to humans, scientists gleaned insights about how neurons and neurotransmitters behave on the drug that could inform future studies in humans. Other researchers doing experiments with mice hope MDMA ability to manipulate oxytocin could benefit people suffering PTSD.

At the University of California, Berkeley, scientists have developedcell phone appsthat can spot pathogens in biologic samples. The World Health Organization hasincreased fundingto initiatives working to scale up vaccine production in disease-afflicted countries.Artificial intelligenceis also starting to make a big splash in the infectious disease arena as computer scientists deploy the technology to predictand hopefully temperoutbreaks that originate in animals.

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Trends that will shape the 2020s: Psychedelics as medicine, diagnostic cell phone apps and AI prediction of disease outbreaks - Genetic Literacy...

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--zPREDICTA, Inc., the leading provider of tumor-specific 3D cell culture models for the in vitro testing of anti-cancer therapeutics, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a strategic collaboration with LabCorp, a leading global life sciences company. The agreement will support the adoption of zPREDICTAs proprietary 3D cell culture platform for preclinical testing and research studies in the biopharmaceutical industry.

The collaboration combines zPREDICTAs strengths in the development of clinically relevant 3D cell culture models with LabCorps strengths in drug development and precision medicine. Since its founding in 2014, zPREDICTA has provided customized tumor-specific 3D cell culture models and in vitro testing services to leading global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. The collaboration with LabCorp is an important next step in the evolution of zPREDICTAs business.

Julia Kirshner, Ph.D., founder and CEO of zPREDICTA, commented, We are very pleased to enter into this strategic collaboration with LabCorp, and we look forward to working together to accelerate the adoption of our 3D cell culture platform across the biopharmaceutical industry. LabCorp is one of the worlds leading life science companies, and its drug development business, Covance, is one of the leading end-to-end development partners for the biopharmaceutical industry. With this strategic relationship, we are well-positioned to offer our cell culture technology to a much larger customer base and also to expand the number of cell culture models that we offer.

Given our focus on precision medicine, particularly in the area of oncology, we are looking forward to working with zPREDICTA to develop and commercialize tumor-specific preclinical models based on its 3D cell culture technology, said Steve Anderson, Ph.D., Covance chief scientific officer. Covance continues to invest in innovations that improve drug development. We believe the zPREDICTA 3D in vitro models offer a more predictable method for early evaluation of responses to immuno-oncology therapies.

About zPREDICTA

zPREDICTA has developed a proprietary 3D cell culture platform for the testing of a broad range of therapeutic agents. zPREDICTAs 3D cell culture models are tissue-specific and disease-specific thus offering higher predictive and analytical value than traditional 2D testing or non-specific 3D models. zPREDICTA provides in vitro testing services to some of the leading global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

Originally posted here:
zPREDICTA Enters Strategic Collaboration with LabCorp to Advance the Use of 3D Cell Cultures in Research and Drug Development - Business Wire

Over the past 15 years, Californias stem cell program has funded over 1,000 research, training and community engagement projects focused on stem cell technology in the state.

But in October of last year, the agency in charge of administering the states stem cell program awarded its last round of new funds, allocating the last of a total of $3 billion in funding approved by California voters. Now, the author of Proposition 71, which established the program in 2004, is seeking another round of $5.5 billion in funding for stem cell research in a measure vying for a spot on the Nov. 5 ballot.

The scientists and patient advocates in California have proven through the California stem cell initiative funding that they can change the future of medicine and human suffering, the measures author, Robert Bob Klein II told the Business Journal. California funding has filled the gap of the federal governments failure to fund this revolution in medicine.

Kleins interest in stem cell research and regenerative medicine arose from his youngest sons ultimately fatal battle with diabetes. Diagnosed with Type I Diabetes at age 11, Kleins son Jordan required human insulin-producing beta cells, the artificial production of which to the best knowledge of the scientific community at this point requires stem cells.

In 2016, 26-year-old Jordan Klein died of complications related to the disease, two years after scientists first made significant progress on finding a treatment developed with the help of human embryonic stem cells.

Klein blames the federal governments resistance to embracing stem cell research for the lack of adequate treatment options that lead to his sons death. My youngest son died. If they hadnt held it up in D.C., he would be alive, he said. How many children, how many adults are going to die before they create enough stability to advance therapies that mitigate or cure these chronic diseases?

For years, Klein a wealthy real estate developer had tried to affect change on the federal level, before shifting his attention to his home state. I became focused on what California could do, because the federal government was encumbered by religious issues, he explained.

Despite having no experience in the field of scientific research, Klein was able to mount a successful campaign, with 59.1% of California voters approving the creation of a state-funded stem cell program and an agency to govern it. The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine held its first meeting in December 2004 and issued its first round of funding in 2006, after battling several challenges to the proposition in state and federal court.

Since then, CIRMs funding has enabled conferences, translational research projects and clinical trials exploring cures for various types of cancers, diabetes and neurological disorders. While a majority of funding went to the University of Californias main campuses as well as regenerative medicine companies and institutes in major hubs like San Diego and the Bay Area, California State University, Long Beach and Torrance-based Pathways to Stem Cell Science have also received funds from CIRM.

CIRM has created a new industry in California that has been tremendously beneficial for the California economy, Dr. Victoria Fox, president of Pathways, told the Business Journal. Her company, which offers stem cell extraction and education services, has received both direct and indirect funding from CIRM.

Last year, Pathways hosted the SPARK Annual Meeting, an event that highlights the scientific accomplishments of students in the SPARK high school summer training program funded through a CIRM grant. Foxs company also provides educational services through CIRMs Bridges program at CSULB, in which students from state and junior colleges compete for six-month lab positions at UC research labs.

[These programs] are important to us, not only because they generate income to operate, but because they generate a workforce, Fox explained.

She said other companies often approach her in search of stem cell scientists. If voters decided not to extend funding for CIRM and its program in November, Fox said shed be hard-pressed to find an equivalent network for talent acquisition. I dont know where Im going to refer companies to find talent. I really dont know.

Dr. Aaron Levine, an associate professor at the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech, has focused primarily on the intersection between public policy and bioethics. In this context, Levine has followed and reviewed Californias stem cell program for years, and he agreed that its impact has been transformative.

CIRM stepped in to fill a gap when the National Institutes of Health was restricting its funding in this space, Levine said. The research that CIRM has supported, as well as the training programs, has had quite a big impact on the field.

But Levine also pointed to what he described as missed opportunities, as the program enters its bid for renewal. One example is the new proposals requirement to commit a certain percentage of funds to finding cures for specific diseases, such as Alzheimers and other neurological disorders.

From a science policy perspective, I dont really like that. I would like the funding agency to have the flexibility to fund the best science they see submitted, the most promising science, Levine said. Klein argued that setting aside a certain percentage of funds for research on neurological diseases will ensure that they wont be left behind in favor of less costly research projects.

Levine also noted that the program has yet to resolve one crucial question: Who will pay for patients treatment with costly stem cell therapies once theyre ready to hit the market? Per-patient costs for stem cell therapies can easily reach several hundred thousand dollars and as research advances, more patients are expected to qualify.

Suddenly, thats just such a substantial sum of money that it becomes a fundamental challenge to how we pay for healthcare, how we pay for medicine in the United States, Levine said. Subsidies for California residents, whose taxes helped pay for the research necessary to bring these cures and therapies to market, would be one option, Levine noted.

Despite these concerns, Levine said he supports the measure to extend the program. Even though this is not the perfect measure, I think theres a lot of value in CIRM and it makes sense to continue it, he said. In the end, it will be up to California voters to decide.

It largely will rise and fall on whether theres a motivated campaign for and against it and what people whove never really thought about stem cell research as a state ballot issue are going to think about this particular initiative when it comes in the fall, Levine said.

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Should California invest another $5.5 Billion into stem cell research? - Long Beach Business Journal - Long Beach News

Sarah C.P. Williams | February 18, 2020

A molecule identified by UCLA researchers helps maintain a healthy balance of cells in airway and lung tissue. If the compound, so far only studied in isolated human and mouse cells, has the same effect in people, it may lead to new drugs to treat or prevent lung cancer.

We think this could help us develop a new therapy that promotes airway health, said Dr. Brigitte Gomperts, a UCLA professor of pediatrics and of pulmonary medicine, a member of theEli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA, and lead author of the study. This could not only inform the treatment of lung cancer, but help prevent its progression in the first place.

Humans respiratory systems are constantly being injured by pollution and germs in the air we breathe and must be replenished with healthy cells. That process is driven by airway basal stem cells, which divide to produce both more stem cells and the mucociliary cells that line the airways and lungs.

There are two types of mucociliary cells: mucus cells, which produce the mucus that trap toxic and infectious particles, and ciliated cells, which have finger-like projections that sweep the mucus away to keep the respiratory system healthy and clear. In healthy lungs, airway basal stem cells stay balanced between producing mucociliary cells and self-renewing to maintain a population of stem cells.

In precancerous cells in the lungs, basal stem cells divide more often than usual, generating a large number of stem cells but too few mucociliary cells. The resulting imbalance of cells in the airway leaves the airways unable to properly clear debris, and it creates a greater risk that the precancerous cells will give rise to a tumor.

In the new study, published today in Cell Reports, Gomperts and her colleagues analyzed airway cells from equal numbers of biopsies of healthy people, people with premalignant lung cancer lesions and people with squamous lung cancer. They discovered that one group of molecules collectively called the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway was present at different levels in the basal stem cells of the patient samples versus the cells from healthy people.

And when the researchers altered the levels of these molecules in healthy airway cells from mice, the balance between stem cells and mucociliary cells shifted, mimicking the imbalance seen in lung pre-cancers.

When you activate the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway, these stem cells just divide and divide, said Gomperts, who is also a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Finally, the team screened more than 20,000 chemical compounds for their ability to reverse this effect in human cells, lowering levels of Wnt and restoring the balance of stem cells and mature airway cells.

One compound stood out for its ability to limit the proliferation of basal stem cells and restore the balance of the stem cells and mucociliary cells to normal. The compound was also less toxic to airway cells than other, previously discovered, molecules that block Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. The team named the compound Wnt Inhibitor Compound 1, or WIC1.

The identification of this new drug is a nice tool to tease apart the biology of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway and its effects on lung health, said Cody Aros, the first author of the new paper and a UCLA graduate student. Its also very exciting that it may act in a new way than other existing Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway inhibitors and has such low toxicity.

Since WIC1 was identified through a random drug screen, the researchers dont yet know exactly how it works, but theyre planning future studies on its mechanism and safety.

The compound tested by the researchers was used in preclinical tests only and has not been tested in humans or approved by the Food and Drug Administration as safe and effective for use in humans.

The newly identified compound is covered by a patent application filed by the UCLA Technology Development Group on behalf of the Regents of the University of California, with Gomperts and Aros as co-inventors.

Funding for the study was provided in part by the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, the Tobacco Related Disease Research Program and the Broad Stem Cell Research Center Training Program, including support from the Rose Hills Foundation Graduate Scholarship.

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UCLA researchers discover new compound that promotes lung health - UCLA Newsroom

NEW YORK, Feb. 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies for neurodegenerative diseases, today announces financial results for fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.

2019 was a tremendous year for BrainStorm, with significant progress and achievements across all clinical and operational fronts, stated Chaim Lebovits, President and Chief Executive Officer of BrainStorm. Most importantly, we fully enrolled our pivotal, double blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 trial of NurOwn for the treatment of ALS. We announced the trial conducted at six major U.S. medical centers of excellence for ALS, was fully enrolled on October 11, 2019, and on October 28, 2019 the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB), completed the second planned interim safety analysis for the first 106 patients who received repeat dosing of NurOwn in the Phase 3 trial. The DSMB concluded the trial should continue as planned without any clinical protocol changes. He added, In addition, one of the most prestigious peer-reviewed journals, Neurology, published NurOwn Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial in ALS: Safety, Clinical and BioMarker Results, bringing news of our investigational therapy to the global scientific community. And, just last week, we were happy to announce that the Company recently held a high level meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss potential NurOwn regulatory pathways for approval in ALS.

Ralph Kern, MD, MHSc, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Medical Officer of BrainStorm added, 2019 was also a very significant year for those who suffer from progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS). In February 2019, we announced Cleveland Clinic would serve as our first contracted site for a Phase 2 open-label, multicenter study of repeated intrathecal administration of NurOwn (autologous MSC-NTF cells) in participants with progressive MS (NCT03799718). We enrolled our first patient in March. We contracted with The Stanford University School of Medicine, The Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, and the Mount Sinai Medical Center to further enroll patients. Dr. Kern added, The importance of our research in progressive MS was acknowledged by a $495,000 grant award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society through its Fast Forward Program, and mid-December, the Data Safety Monitoring Board completed the first, pre-specified interim analysis, of safety outcomes for 9 participants and after careful review of all available clinical trial data, the DSMB unanimously concluded that the study should continue as planned without any protocol modification. As of December 31, 2019 we have enrolled 10 patients in the study (50% enrollment completed).

Fourth Quarter Corporate Highlights:

Financial Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2019 and Recent Updates

For further details on BrainStorms financials, including financial results for the year ended December 31, 2019, refer to the Form 10-K filed with the SEC today.

Conference Call on Tuesday, February 18th @ 8:00 am Eastern Time

The investment community may participate in the conference call by dialing the following numbers:

Those interested in listening to the conference call live via the internet may do so by visiting the Investors & Media page of BrainStorms website at http://www.ir.brainstorm-cell.com and clicking on the conference call link.

A webcast replay of the conference call will be available for 30 days on the Investors & Media page of BrainStorms website:

About NurOwnNurOwn (autologous MSC-NTF cells) represent a promising investigational approach to targeting disease pathways important in neurodegenerative disorders. MSC-NTF cells are produced from autologous, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that have been expanded and differentiated ex vivo. MSCs are converted into MSC-NTF cells by growing them under patented conditions that induce the cells to secrete high levels of neurotrophic factors. Autologous MSC-NTF cells can effectively deliver multiple NTFs and immunomodulatory cytokines directly to the site of damage to elicit a desired biological effect and ultimately slow or stabilize disease progression. NurOwn is currently being evaluated in a Phase 3 ALS randomized placebo-controlled trial and in a Phase 2 open-label multicenter trial in Progressive MS.

About BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.is a leading developer of innovative autologous adult stem cell therapeutics for debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. The Company holds the rights to clinical development and commercialization of the NurOwnCellular Therapeutic Technology Platform used to produce autologous MSC-NTF cells through an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement as well as through its own patents, patent applications and proprietary know-how. Autologous MSC-NTF cells have received Orphan Drug status designation from theU.S. Food and Drug Administration(U.S.FDA) and theEuropean Medicines Agency(EMA) in ALS. Brainstorm has fully enrolled the Phase 3 pivotal trial in ALS (NCT03280056), investigating repeat-administration of autologous MSC-NTF cells at six sites in the U.S., supported by a grant from theCalifornia Institute for Regenerative Medicine(CIRM CLIN2-0989). The pivotal study is intended to support a BLA filing for U.S.FDAapproval of autologous MSC-NTF cells in ALS. Brainstorm received U.S.FDAclearance to initiate a Phase 2 open-label multi-center trial of repeat intrathecal dosing of MSC-NTF cells in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (NCT03799718) inDecember 2018and has been enrolling clinical trial participants sinceMarch 2019. For more information, visit the company'swebsite.

Safe-Harbor StatementStatements in this announcement other than historical data and information, including statements regarding future clinical trial enrollment and data, constitute "forward-looking statements" and involve risks and uncertainties that could causeBrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.'sactual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Terms and phrases such as "may", "should", "would", "could", "will", "expect", "likely", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "predict", "potential", and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, BrainStorms need to raise additional capital, BrainStorms ability to continue as a going concern, regulatory approval of BrainStorms NurOwn treatment candidate, the success of BrainStorms product development programs and research, regulatory and personnel issues, development of a global market for our services, the ability to secure and maintain research institutions to conduct our clinical trials, the ability to generate significant revenue, the ability of BrainStorms NurOwn treatment candidate to achieve broad acceptance as a treatment option for ALS or other neurodegenerative diseases, BrainStorms ability to manufacture and commercialize the NurOwn treatment candidate, obtaining patents that provide meaningful protection, competition and market developments, BrainStorms ability to protect our intellectual property from infringement by third parties, heath reform legislation, demand for our services, currency exchange rates and product liability claims and litigation,; and other factors detailed in BrainStorm's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q available athttp://www.sec.gov. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on BrainStorm's forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this press release. We do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or assumptions if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, unless otherwise required by law. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

CONTACTS

Corporate:Uri YablonkaChief Business OfficerBrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.Phone: 646-666-3188uri@brainstorm-cell.com

Investor Relations:Preetam Shah, MBA, PhDChief Financial OfficerBrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.Phone: 862-397-8160pshah@brainstorm-cell.com

Media:Sean LeousWestwicke/ICR PRPhone: +1.646.677.1839sean.leous@icrinc.com

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BEIJING, Feb. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Reported by Science & Technology Daily:

As to the battle against the COVID-19, Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has been launched the program of Dealing With the Outbreak of COVID-19 Using Science and Technology, a program including four batches of 20 emergency projects until now. Moreover, MOST re-examining two major scientific and technological projects, including the Creation of Important Innovative New Drugs and the Prevention and Treatment of Severe Contagions, and a series of national essential research and development plans. Recently, some important achievements from these projects have already been implemented in the front line of epidemic prevention and control.

When it comes to drug screening, front-line staff from different research teams collaborated on the basis of existing researches, making great efforts to systematically and massively screen the drugs that have been on the market already or already go into clinical trials. As a consequence, they discovered potentially effective anti- coronavirus drugs, such as Chloroquine Phosphate, Remdesivir, and Favipiravir. Furthermore, in recent days, researchers have urgently launched some clinical trials and the results show that the curative effect of drugs on patients is increasingly obvious.

Based on the R&D level and preliminary accumulation in the field of cell therapy, traditional Chinese medicine and plasma therapy in China, the clinical trials of the three therapies organized by the Joint Prevention and Control Group have been gradually carried out, and they are playing significant role in curing critically ill patients.

For the purpose of providing more cutting-edge and effective solutions to the epidemic using stem cell therapy, the leaders of the MOST went to the Innovation Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine of the Chinese Academy of Science to confirm their progressing. A new cellular drug called CAStem supposed to cure COVID-19 was created, and it has already made major progress in the experiment about the treatment of the severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) previously. The research team has applied for emergency approval from China National Medical Products Administration, and it is cooperating with relevant medical institutions. So far, the CAStem has already been approved by the Ethics Committee, and is ongoing clinical observation and evaluation.

An emergency project titled Clinical Study on the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 by Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine was officially launched on February 3 with the support from the MOST. The positive curative effect has been shown in treating COVID-19, said Zhang Boli, the project leader and the headmaster of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was reported that a total of 23 patients had been cured and discharged from Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine and Wuhan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

With regard to the field of plasma therapy, China National Biotech Group has completed the collection of plasma from some convalescent patients, as well as the preparation of special immune plasma products and special immune globulin of novel coronavirus on February 13. Through strict blood biosafety testing, virus inactivation, and antiviral activity testing, etc., special immune plasma has been successfully prepared for clinical treatment and has already been put into clinical treatment of severely ill patients.

In terms of field of vaccine research and development, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had successfully isolated the first COVID-19 virus strain on January 24, which was recognized by the World Health Organization and other international agencies. Several new type of vaccines for COVID-19 have started the animal testing phase, which bring hope to all.

View original content: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chinese-scientist-unite-together-to-tackle-with-covid-19-301006701.html

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Chinese Scientist Unite Together to Tackle With COVID-19 - Associated Press

CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American and TASE: LCTX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel cell therapies for unmet medical needs, announced today that updated results from a Phase I/IIa study of its lead product candidate, OpRegen, a retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell transplant therapy currently in development for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD), have been accepted for presentation at the 2020 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Meeting, which will be held May 3rd through May 7th, 2020 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD. The abstract presentation, entitled, Phase I/IIa Clinical Trial of Human Embryonic Stem Cell (hESC)-Derived Retinal Pigmented Epithelium (RPE, OpRegen) Transplantation in Advanced Dry Form Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD): Interim Results, will be presented as part of the Gene Therapy and Stem cells Session on May 3rd, 2020 from 3:00PM to 4:45PM EDT by Christopher D. Riemann, M.D., Vitreoretinal Surgeon and Fellowship Director, Cincinnati Eye Institute and University of Cincinnati School of Medicine; Clinical Governance Board, Cincinnati Eye Institute (presentation number 865). The presentation will provide updated data from patient cohorts 1 through 4 of the clinical study and will include data on the first patients dosed with both a new subretinal delivery system as well as with a new Thaw-and-Inject (TAI) formulation of OpRegen.

We continue to be encouraged by positive data with OpRegen for the treatment of dry AMD, stated Brian M. Culley, CEO of Lineage. The five patients treated as part of cohort 4, which more closely match our intended patient population, have all demonstrated an increase in the number of letters they can read on an Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Scale (ETDRS), having gained between 10 25 letters. Importantly, the first patient treated using both a new subretinal delivery system and our TAI formulation of OpRegen demonstrated notable improvements in vision, having gained 25 readable letters (or 5 lines) 6 months following administration of OpRegen RPE cells, as assessed by the ETDRS. This represents an improvement in visual acuity from a baseline of 20/250 to 20/100 in the treated eye. These visual acuity measurements are meaningful and can translate into quality of life enhancements to things like reading, driving, or avoiding accidents. With the opening of two leading ophthalmology research centers as clinical sites for our study, we are focused on rapid enrollment so that our clinical update at ARVO can be as mature and informative as possible. Our objective is to combine the best cells, the best production process and the best delivery system, which we believe will position us as the front-runner in the race to address the unmet opportunity in the potential billion-dollar dry AMD market.

In addition, Lineage will present new preclinical results from its Vision Restoration Program, a proprietary program based on the ability to generate 3-dimensional human retinal tissue derived from pluripotent cells. Lineages 3-dimensional retinal tissue technology may address the unmet need of implementing a retinal tissue restoration strategy to address a wide range of severe retinal degenerative conditions including retinitis pigmentosa and advanced forms of AMD. In 2017 and 2019, the Small Business Innovation Research program of the National Institutes of Health awarded Lineage grants of close to $2.3 million to further develop this innovative, next generation vision restoration program.

- The poster presentation, entitled, Transplantation of organoid-derived human retinal tissue in to the subretinal space of CrxRdy/+ cats), will be presented as part of the Animal models for visual disease and restoration Session on May 4th, 2020 4:00PM to 5:45PM EDT in Session Number 291 by Igor Nasonkin, Ph.D., Principal Investigator, Director of Research & Development at Lineage (Poster board Number: 2253 - B0162).

- The poster presentation, entitled, Intraocular biocompatibility of Hystem hydrogel for delivery of pharmaceutical agents and cells, will be presented as part of the Stem cells and organoids: Technical advances Session on May 5th, 2020 between 8:45AM to 10:30AM EDT in Session Number 332 by our collaborator Randolph D. Glickman, Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmology, UT Health San Antonio (Poster board Number: # A0247).

About Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

Lineage Cell Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel cell therapies for unmet medical needs. Lineages programs are based on its robust proprietary cell-based therapy platform and associated in-house development and manufacturing capabilities. With this platform Lineage develops and manufactures specialized, terminally-differentiated human cells from its pluripotent and progenitor cell starting materials. These differentiated cells are developed either to replace or support cells that are dysfunctional or absent due to degenerative disease or traumatic injury or administered as a means of helping the body mount an effective immune response to cancer. Lineages clinical programs are in markets with billion dollar opportunities and include (i) OpRegen, a retinal pigment epithelium transplant therapy in Phase I/IIa development for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in the developed world; (ii) OPC1, an oligodendrocyte progenitor cell therapy in Phase I/IIa development for the treatment of acute spinal cord injuries; and (iii) VAC2, an allogeneic cancer immunotherapy of antigen-presenting dendritic cells currently in Phase I development for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Lineage is also evaluating potential partnership opportunities for Renevia, a facial aesthetics product that was recently granted a Conformit Europenne (CE) Mark. For more information, please visit http://www.lineagecell.com or follow the Company on Twitter @LineageCell.

Forward-Looking Statements

Lineage cautions you that all statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, in some cases, can be identified by terms such as believe, may, will, estimate, continue, anticipate, design, intend, expect, could, plan, potential, predict, seek, should, would, contemplate, project, target, tend to, or the negative version of these words and similar expressions. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the potential applications in Lineages Vision Restoration Program. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Lineages actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release, including risks and uncertainties inherent in Lineages business and other risks in Lineages filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). Lineages forward-looking statements are based upon its current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included under the heading Risk Factors in Lineages periodic reports with the SEC, including Lineages Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 14, 2019 and its other reports, which are available from the SECs website. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. Lineage undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law.

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Lineage Cell Therapeutics to Present New Data From OpRegen and Vision Restoration Programs at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology...

LIVERMORE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--S2 Genomics, a manufacturer and provider of automated tissue sample preparation systems, and the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), a leading genomics research institute, today announced that RIKEN IMS has joined the S2 Genomics Early Technology Access Program to evaluate and further develop single cell sequencing applications on the S2 Genomics Singulator tissue preparation system.

Achieving high-quality single cell data from solid tissues relies upon consistent and reproducible cell or nuclei dissociation procedures. To overcome the challenges often seen with manual cell dissociation methods, S2 Genomics has developed the automated Singulator system to process solid tissue samples into suspensions of cells or nuclei for single-cell analysis.

Current methods of cell isolation are a significant bottleneck for researchers and can lead to inconsistencies in their data. The Singulator automates and standardizes the dissociation of solid tissues and can improve the quality of single-cell and single-nuclei data from a variety of solid tissue types, said Dr. Stevan Jovanovich, President and CEO of S2 Genomics. We are excited to work with the RIKEN IMS to evaluate the performance of the system and to develop new applications for the Singulator platform.

Dr. Aki Minoda, Unit Leader of the Epigenome Technology Exploration Unit, commented on the collaboration: We are delighted to collaborate with S2 Genomics and incorporate the Singulator into our workflow for single-cell analyses.

About S2 Genomics, Inc.

S2 Genomics, founded in 2016, is a leading developer of laboratory automation solutions to process solid tissue for life science applications. S2 Genomics technology platforms integrate advanced fluidics, optics, and biochemistry capabilities to produce sample preparation solutions for the next generation sequencing (NGS) and cell biology markets. For more information, visit http://www.s2genomics.com.

S2 Genomics, the S2 Genomics logo, and Singulator are trademarks of S2 Genomics, Inc.

About the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences

The RIKEN IMS aims to elucidate the pathogenesis of human diseases and establish new therapeutic methodologies by conducting cutting-edge research on human genome and immune function. To that end, we have established four Divisions: (1) Division of Genomic Medicine, (2) Division of Human Immunology, (3) Division of Disease Systems Biology, and (4) Division of Next Generation Cancer Immunology. These groups work together to promote state-of-the-art research.

For more information, visit https://www.riken.jp/en/research/labs/ims/index.html.

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S2 Genomics and the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences Collaborate on Single-Cell Genomics on Solid Tissues - Business Wire